CCR Blog

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WfijdzRjFAzl4afdnzXdIG0t1bYpLAb6UFHQMf8H8wQ/edit

How does your product use or challenge conventions AND how does it represent social groups or issues?

The music video that we, as a group, produced is a powerful representation of the struggles that many individuals encounter on a daily basis all throughout the entire world. The film we made explores sadness and shows the impact that losing a loved one may have on a person. The video also looks at how humans evolve and age over the course of a lifetime, in this case with a pet, but it also shows that people never lose their love for a beloved one. For example, as it shows in our video, a puppy. The video does this through the great use of emotional lyrics and dialogue that evoke feelings of nostalgia and flashbacks to the "good old days." This is commonly felt and understood wishing to travel back in time, and be able to relive these moments and not take them for granted. Our selection is a global representation of numerous socio economic groupings and challenges. Mental health concerns are among the most profound issues and challenges that our video portrays.  A problem that results in thousands of lives yearly.  In our movie, we particularly discuss the difficulties in dealing with the death of a loved one, be it a family member, friend, or pet. In addition, our product aims to send a crucial message to everyone who is dealing with personal issues. Our goal is to inspire others to ask for assistance, talk to a trustworthy individual who will listen to them, and work through their issues so they won't have to suffer in silence. Our group expressed this message by using a variety of camera angles and transitions to illustrate dark and flashback scenes. 

How does your product engage with audiences AND how would it be distributed as a real media text?

Due to the nostalgia our music video generates and the way it employs well-known spots to grab viewers' interest, our product is also highly engaging with audiences. Additionally, a popular song that has been streamed online for a couple of years is used in our music video to keep viewers interested and entertained. In order to maximize the impact of our product, we also targeted specific audiences. For example, our music video was aimed at emotional and sympathetic people, particularly those who are still in their youth, like teenagers and young adults. Still, the concept behind the film resonates with viewers of all ages due to the sadness it generates, which encourages an impression of audience unanimity. The only audiences who might find the video unclear are those who have never experienced a significant loss or those who are too young, like children, to comprehend the concept of grief and sorrow.  Since the film would have the biggest impact on adolescents, I would prefer to distribute it on websites with significant young adult audiences. In a social media-influenced group where a lot of hate and insecurity exists, our message of seeking for support would be extremely helpful in comforting them of the fact they are not alone and that they matter. For us to maximize the impact of our video, if I had to choose, I would post it on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat. With the growing adolescent population on all these social media platforms, our target audience would see the product or music video the quickest.

How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

I learned a lot while making this music video, knowledge that I definitely intend to apply to my next projects. After finishing each step of creating this music video, I finally understood the basic principles of project and production creation. I also discovered how much time must be spent in each of these stages of the project in order for the final product to be of excellent quality. We would have had a far worse storyboard and a far less organized plan for completing the project if our group hadn't spent so much time organizing and studying music videos for our project. This would have caused additional confusion when it came to our filming and editing schedules. Our entire project could have been ruined by a single misstep, leaving us with a production we wouldn't have been proud of. I learned through this project that patience is necessary to produce a quality product, especially during the filming process when a lot of things went wrong, such as the dog not cooperating or the wind making the shot appear ridiculous. We tried a lot before we were able to get the shots we wanted. While working on this project, I also developed my camera skills and became better at adjusting lighting to highlight various moods and environments, almost giving the impression that the seasons or time was passing. My understanding of the importance of preparation and attention to detail has gotten better as a result of this project.

How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?

Throughout the project, I used software as well as hardware at different points, incorporating a variety of different technologies. The phone and lens we used to record and edit the entire project was one of my biggest investments in technology.  The lens gave us the flexibility to precisely angle and position our cameras to produce the best definition and camera quality possible. It also allowed us to use the camera for anything we needed it for. Throughout this project, I also downloaded and edited the video clips that we recorded using a variety of software programs. I edited these video clips as best I could with iMovie, then I moved them to my computer so I could use Vimeo to embed the code in a format that Blogger could use to post it. I also used internet resources, like Amazon, to help me set up and prepare for my project. In order to finish this project by the deadline, I used Amazon to buy my lens and also to help me choose the best products at the best prices and have them delivered to me as quickly as possible. This brings me to my final lesson, which is to never put off tasks requiring numerous steps and procedures, especially if they must be completed to the highest possible standard.